A communication system operates to communicate data between two, or more, locations. Communication stations of the communication system are positioned at the separate locations, and the data is communicated therebetween. At a minimum, a first of the communication stations forms a sending station, and a second of the communication stations forms a receiving station. Data is communicated upon a communication channel that is formed to interconnect the communication stations positioned at the separate locations.
The development, and implementation, of new types of communication systems have been made possible as a result of advancements in communication technologies. For instance, new types of radio communication systems have been made possible as a result of the advancements in communication technologies.
In a radio communication system, the communication channel upon which data is communicated is defined upon a radio link extending between the communication stations. Because a radio link is utilized to form the communication channel, a wireline connection is not required to interconnect the communication stations. Communications by way of a radio communication system are therefore advantageous when the use of a wireline connection would be inconvenient or impractical. And, most mobile communication systems are radio communication systems as the need for the wireline connection is obviated, thereby providing the capability of the communication stations operable therein to be mobile. And, infrastructure costs associated with a radio communication system are generally less than the corresponding infrastructure costs associated with a wireline communication system as the need to install fixed connections between the sending and the receiving stations are obviated.
A cellular communication system is a type of radio communication system and is exemplary of a radio communication system that has been made possible due to advancements in communication technologies. Telephonic communication of data is provided through the use of a cellular communication system. Portable radio transceivers, referred to as mobile stations, are used by subscribers to a cellular communication system. A mobile station is utilized generally in a manner analogous to the manner by which a conventional, telephonic station is utilized.
Various types of cellular communication systems have been implemented, utilizing various communication schemes. First-generation, cellular communication systems utilize analog communication schemes while subsequent generation communication systems have generally utilized digital communication schemes. Digital communication schemes permit improved efficiency of limited available bandwidth within which radio links are formable upon which communication channels can be defined.
One such digital communication scheme is a GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) communication scheme. New implementations of communication systems utilizing the GSM communication scheme also provide for GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). GPRS for GSM permits packet communication services to be effectuated utilizing packet-switched connections.
Signaling protocols have been set forth by which to allocate communication resources to effectuate a GPRS communication service. Request for resources is made by the mobile station. Resources are requested responsive to a mobile-originated communication or responsive to a mobile-terminated communication.
In today's GPRS, or generally in A/Gb mode of operation, prior to the request for allocation of communication resources, the GPRS capable mobile station “camps” in an RR idle mode/packet idle mode on a CCCH (Common Control Channel) when a fifty-one-multiframe GSM implementation is followed and no PCCCH is provided in the cell. When the system is GPRS capable, a fifty-two-multiframe GSM scheme is followed in packet idle mode, provided that a PCCCH (Packet Common Control Channel) is provided in the cell. The GPRS capable mobile station camps on the PCCCH. Besides, for Iu mode, a cell supporting Iu mode must support the PCCCH. An Iu capable MS operating in Iu mode in such a cell camps on PCCCH.
In A/Gb mode of operation, when the fifty-two-multiframe scheme is followed and the mobile station camps on the PCCCH, if the mobile station is paged for an RR connection establishment (i.e. circuit-switched services), such as by a page generated on a packet paging channel (PPCH), the mobile station must stop monitoring the PCCCH and, instead, tune to the common control channel CCCH. Once the mobile station is tuned to the CCCH, the mobile station may request, by way of a random access upon a random access channel (RACH), allocation of a SDCCH (Stand-alone Dedicated Control Channel). Responsive to the request, a channel assignment is assigned by way of an access grant channel (AGCH). A corresponding procedure is required when a mobile-originated voice call is initiated. That is to say, when the mobile station is camping on a PCCCH and a spontaneous request is to be generated, i.e., the mobile-originated voice call is to be effectuated, the mobile station retunes to the CCCH. Once tuned to the CCCH, the mobile station requests an SDCCH by way of the random access channel.
The existing need for the mobile station to move from the PCCCH to the CCCH not only increases the risk of CCCH congestion, but also increases the delay to the allocation of the channel and corresponding effectuation of the communication service.
If a manner could be provided by which to permit the mobile station to request the channel allocation without first moving from the packet common control channel to the common control channel, improved efficiencies of communications would be provided.
It is in light of this background information related to communications in a packet radio communication system that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.